Automatic application-based multipath routing for an SD-WAN service

Abstract

Example network devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. In an example, a network device includes memory configured to store information associated with one or more service level agreements (SLAs) for applications in a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) and an application-based multipath routing (AMR) module including processing circuitry. The AMR module is configured to identify, based on criteria, one or more of the applications for AMR, wherein each criterion of the criteria is associated with a corresponding property of an application. The AMR module is configured to determine a breach of one of the SLAs on each WAN link associated with a first application of the identified one or more applications. The AMR module is configured to apply, in response to determining the breach, AMR for the first application.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A network device comprising:
 memory configured to store information associated with one or more service level agreements (SLAs) for a plurality of applications in a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), the plurality of applications not being pre-provisioned for application-based multipath routing (AMR); and 
 an AMR module comprising processing circuitry, the AMR module being configured to:
 compare criteria to at least one property of at least one of the plurality of applications to determine whether any criterion of the criteria is met by the at least one property; 
 identify, based on the at least one property of the at least one of the plurality of applications meeting any criterion of the criteria, one or more of the plurality of applications as eligible for AMR; 
 determine a breach of one of the SLAs on each WAN link associated with a first application of the identified one or more of the plurality of applications; and 
 apply, in response to determining the breach, AMR for the first application. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the criteria are predetermined and comprise at least one of real-time transport protocol (RTP), office-related, size, banking, trading, or differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking. 
     
     
       3. The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the AMR module is further configured to autonomously modify the criteria. 
     
     
       4. The network device of  claim 1 , wherein each criterion of the criteria has an associated weighting and wherein the AMR module is further configured to autonomously modify one or more weightings associated with the criteria. 
     
     
       5. The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the AMR module is further configured to:
 determine that available resources of the network device are sufficient to support AMR for the first application, 
 wherein the applying AMR to the first application is further based on the available resources being sufficient to support AMR for the first application. 
 
     
     
       6. The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the identified one or more applications comprise a second application, wherein each criterion of the criteria has an associated weighting, and wherein the AMR module is further configured to:
 determine, based on the criteria, a first priority for the first application and a second priority for the second application, the first priority being higher than the second priority; 
 determine a breach of one of the one or more SLAs on each WAN link associated with the second application; 
 determine that available resources are not sufficient to support AMR for both the first application and the second application; and 
 apply AMR for the first application and refrain from applying AMR for the second application based on the first priority being higher than the second priority. 
 
     
     
       7. The network device of  claim 6 , wherein the first priority is based on cumulative weights of each criterion met by at least one property of the first application and the second priority is based on cumulative weights of each criterion met by at least one property of the second application. 
     
     
       8. The network device of  claim 1 , wherein to apply AMR for the first application, the AMR module is configured to:
 transmit a copy of a packet associated with the first application via each of two or more WAN links. 
 
     
     
       9. The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the AMR module is further configured to:
 compare the criteria to at least one property of a second application of the plurality of applications; 
 identify, based on at least one property of the second application not meeting any of the criterion of the criteria, the second application as not eligible for AMR; 
 determine a breach of one of the SLAs on each WAN link associated with the second application; and 
 refrain from applying, in response to determining the breach of one of the SLAs on each WAN link associated with the second application, AMR for the second application. 
 
     
     
       10. A method comprising:
 comparing, by processing circuitry, criteria to at least one property of at least one of a plurality of applications to determine whether any criterion of the criteria is met by the at least one property, the plurality of applications not being pre-provisioned for application-based multipath routing (AMR); 
 identifying, by the processing circuitry and based on the at least one property of the at least one of the plurality of applications meeting any criterion of the criteria, one or more of the plurality of applications as eligible for AMR in a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN); 
 determining, by the processing circuitry, a breach of a service level agreement (SLA) for a first application of the identified one or more of the plurality of applications on each WAN link associated with the first application; and 
 applying, by the processing circuitry and in response to determining the breach, AMR for the first application. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the criteria are predetermined and comprise at least one of real-time transport protocol (RTP), office-related, size, banking, trading, or differentiated services code point (DSCP) marking. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 autonomously modifying, by the processing circuitry, the criteria. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein each criterion of the criteria has an associated weighting and wherein the method further comprises:
 autonomously modifying, by the processing circuitry, one or more weightings associated with the criteria. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining, by the processing circuitry, that available resources of a network device are sufficient to support AMR for the first application, 
 wherein the applying AMR to the first application is further based on the available resources being sufficient to support AMR for the first application. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more applications comprise a second application, wherein each criterion of the criteria has an associated weighting, and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining, based on the criteria, a first priority for the first application and a second priority for the second application, the first priority being higher than the second priority; 
 determining, by the processing circuitry, a breach of one of the one or more SLAs on each WAN link associated with the second application; 
 determining, by the processing circuitry, that available resources are not sufficient to support AMR for both the first application and the second application; and 
 applying, by the processing circuitry, AMR for the first application and refraining from applying AMR for the second application based on the first priority being higher than the second priority. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first priority is based on cumulative weights of each criterion having a corresponding property to the first application and the second priority is based on cumulative weights of each criterion having a corresponding property to the second application. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method is performed by an SD-WAN edge device. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the identifying one or more applications for AMR and the determining the breach of an SLA are performed by an SD-WAN controller, and wherein the SD-WAN controller outputs configuration data to cause an SD-WAN edge device to apply AMR for the first application. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 comparing, by the processing circuitry, the criteria to at least one property of a second application of the plurality of applications; 
 identifying, by the processing circuitry and based on at least one property of the second application not meeting any of the criterion of the criteria, the second application as not eligible for AMR; 
 determining, by the processing circuitry, a breach of one of the SLAs on each WAN link associated with the second application; and 
 refraining from applying, by the processing circuitry and in response to determining the breach of one of the SLAs on each WAN link associated with the second application, AMR for the second application. 
 
     
     
       20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed, cause processing circuitry to:
 compare criteria to at least one property of at least one of a plurality of applications to determine whether any criterion of the criteria is met by the at least one property, the plurality of applications not being pre-provisioned for application-based multipath routing (AMR); 
 identify, based on the at least one property of the at least one of the plurality of applications meeting any criterion of the criteria, one or more of the plurality of applications as eligible for AMR in a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN); 
 determine a breach of a service level agreement (SLA) for a first application of the identified one or more of the plurality of applications on each WAN link associated with the first application; and 
 apply, in response to determining the breach, AMR for the first application.